Releasing means.



U. I. SHANKUN.

RELEASING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24,1917.

Patented May i, HHS.

F l l I l I l WITNESSES INVENTCR 'ously released by a single operation.

STA@

URBAN J'. SHANKLIN, 0F ANAMOSA, IOWA.

RELEASING- MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1918.

Application led November 24, 1917. Serial No. 203,751.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, URBAN J. SHANKLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anamosa, in the county of Jones and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Releasing Means, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to releasing means, and more particularly to means for simultaneously releasing a number of horses or other animals secured in a row of stalls.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a means of the character stated of simple construction and operation whereby a number of horses may be simultane- A further object is to provide means whereby the horses, after being released from their stalls, will be secured together by a common lead rope so as to permit the horses from one row of stalls to be led out of the stable, in the event of fire, and tethered so as to prevent the horses from again entering their stalls. A further object is to provide a releasing means which is also well adapted for normally securing the horses in their stalls. Further objects will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a row of stalls with a releasing means constructed in accordance with my invention as applied.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the lock.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the lock in open position.

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially on line 5 5 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is a detail of the securing pin.

An operating lever 1 is loosely mounted at its lower end on the end partition 2 of the rst stall A of the row of stalls B, this stall being a single horse stall, and stall C being a double stall. A releasing rod 3 is provided at its outer end with a fork 4 which is pivotally secured to lever 1. This releasing rod is slidable through a groove 5 formed in the underface of a block 6 which is secured to the front of the manger 7. A casing 8 is slidably mounted on block 6 and extends about the sides of the same, the inner edges of the sides of this casing being turned in to form guide members 9 which are slidable in rabbets formed in the underface of the block at each sidethereof. By

this means, the casing is slidable on the block but is secured against outward movement thereform.

The outer end of casing 8 is closed by an end wall 10 provided with an integral nipple 11 which receives rod 3, this nipple being secured to the rod by means of a set screw 11a. It will be evident that, when the rod is moved longitudinally, similar motion will be imparted to casing 8. The casing is of such length that, when in its innermost position, it will project above the inner end portion of a securing pin 12 mounted in the block 6. This pin is of approximately rectangular or L-shape and is pivotally secured in the block by a pivot screw 13 which eX- tends transversely of the block through the inwardly directed arm 12a of the pin. This permits the pin to move in an arc toward and away from block 6 when released. When in operative position, the pin fits in a groove 14 in the upper face of block 6 and extending the full length thereof. A transverse arcuate recess 15 is provided in the face of the block a short distance from each end thereof, the longitudinal center of this recess coinciding with the transverse center of the groove. Recess 15 is adapted to receive a tie ring 16 which is secured on a lead line or rope 17, which is preferably, though not necessarily, made of an asbestos composition or other suitable non-combustible material. By placing ring 16 in recess 15, then turning pin 12 downward into the groove 14 so as to project through the ring and moving casing 8 into operative position above the free end portion of the pin, it will be evident that ring 16 will be securely fastened to the block 6 which is secured on the front of manger 7. This renders it possible to quickly and easily secure the ring to the manger, and by swinging the lever 1 downward and outward, to release the ring.

In applying my invention, I use three locks such as that described for a single horse stall, and four locks for a double stall. In stall A I provide a lock t adjacent each inner corner of the stall and secured on the front of manger 7. Each of these locks secures a guide ring 16a which corresponds to tie ring 16 of center lock b, but these guide rings are not sesecured to the rope 17 their function being merely to secure the rope in approximate parallelism with the lateral faces of the stall partitions 2a and 2b about which this rope is passed. rIhe center ring 16, as above stated, is secured to the rope 17, and this ring is adapted to receive thel tie rope of a halter which may be secured thereto in any suitable manner. The ring 16 serves, in this way, as a means forsecuring the horsein the stall. I n the double stall C, the two corner locks c serve to releasably secure the guide rings for vthe rope 17, the two central locks serving to secure the rings 16 for the halter ropes. As will be clear from Fig. 1 of the drawings, the rope 17 is run through all of the stalls of a row, being passed about the partitions between the stalls and arranged so as yto be closely adjacent each side of the partition, thus being normally secured out of the way, and

the fastening ring or rings, as the case may be, in each stall are secured to this rope. The free end of the rope is provided with a ring 1S which is 'hung on a hook 19 secured in the end partition 2 of stall A. Vhen the lever 1 is swung downward and outward, the casings 8 of the various locks will be moved into inoperative position so as to release the guide and securing rings, thus permitting all of the animals attached to lead rope 17 to be led from the row of stalls in connection with which this releasing device is used. The animals led from the stable are all secured'to the rope 17 so that, by securing the free end of the rope, all of these'animals may be tethered and their return to the stable prevented.

As will be noted more particularly from Figs. 2, t, and 5 of the drawings, the casing 8 is provided in the inner face of its outer `wall on top, and adjacent the inner end thereof, with two recesses or grooves 20. These grooves are'spaced from each side of the casing a dist-ance corresponding to the distance of groove 14,0f block 6 from the upper edgeof the block. rlhe grooves 2O are adapted to receive the end portion of securing pin 12 which projects slightly outward from the outer face of block 6 when this pin is in operative position. By placing thesecuring pin 12 at the other end of block 6 to that shown, and reversing the position of casing 8, the lock may be readily reversed so as .tooperate by means of a lever positioned at the other end of the row of stalls,

as will be apparent. If desired, suitable blocks 21 may be' secured on the outer ends of the partitions of the stalls, these blocks serving to prevent the frope 17 from dropping down low enough to becomeentangled with the horses feet. It will be evident that there may be slight changes made in the construction and arrangement of the different parts of my invention without departingv from the iield and scope of the same, and I intend to include all such variations. as fall within the scope of theA appended claims, in this application in which a preferred form only of my invention is disclosed. f

I/Vhat I claim is:

1.'In releasing means, a block provided with a longitudinally extending groove in its outer face and an arcuate transverse recess communicating with said groove and having its longitudinal center coincident with the transverse center ofthe grooves, said recess being adapted to snugly receive a portion of a securing ring placed therein, a securing pin pivoted in the block and movable across said recess so as to prevent outward movement of the ring,'the pin and the recess of the block coperating to receive thel ring and prevent looseness or play thereof, a casing slidable on the block and adapted to fit over the inner end portion of the pin so as to prevent outward movement .thereof about its pivotal axis when the pin is in operative position, and means for operating said casing.

2,. In releasing means, a block provided in its outer facewith a longitudinally extending groove, a securing pin pivoted at its outer end in said block and operable in the groove, the block being provided with a transverse recess extending across the. groove and. adapted to receive and tightly secure a ring, a casing slidable on said block longitudinally thereofand secured against outward movement relative thereto, and means for operating said casing. Y

3. In releasing means, a block providediin its outer face with a longitudinallyextending groove and having its inner face plane so as to permit the block to besecured to a manger, a securing pin pivoted at itsouter end in said block and operable .in the groove, the block being provided with a .transverse recess extending across the groove and adapted to receive a securing ring, and a casing slidable on said blocklongitudinally thereof and provided vat the inner edge of each side wall with an inwardly directed integral flange fitting into a rabbet provided in the inner face of the block, the casing fitting snugly over the block and the flanges cooperating therewith so as'to prevent outward movement of the casing relative to the block.

4C. In releasing means, a block provided in its underface with a longitudinally extending groove, said block being further provided in its outer face with a longitudinally extending groove and a transverse recess communicating therewith and4 adapted to receive a securing ring, a pin pivotally vsecured at its outer end in said block and operable in thc groove in the outer face thereof, said pin being of such length as to project across the recess .when in operative block for movement longitudinally ythereof posit-ion, a casing slidably mounted'on the and secured against movement away from the block, and an operating rod slidably mounted in the groove in the underface of the block and secured to said casing so as to operate the same, said block serving to slidably support the operating rod and secure it against outward movement relative to the block as well as providing a supporting base for the casing and the securing element carried thereby.

5. In releasing means, a block provided in its under face with a longitudinally extending groove, said block being further provided in its outer face with a longitudinally extending groove and a transverse recess communicating therewith adapted to receive a securing ring, a pin pivotally secured at its outer end in said block and operable in the groove, said pin being of such length as to project across the recess when in operative position, a casing slidable on the block longitudinally thereof and fitting snugly about the block, said casing being provided with guide members engaging the block so as to prevent outward movement of the casing relative to the block, the casing being further provided with an end wall at the end thereof remote from the pin having a securing nipple adapted to receive an operating rod, said nipple being in alinement with the groove in the under face of the block, an operating rod inserted through the nipple and operable in said groove, and means for releasably securing the nipple to the operating rod, so as to permit the casing to be adjyusted longitudinally of said rod.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

URBAN J. SHANKLIN.

Witnesses:

A. Gr. REMLEY, M. D. BAGLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

